Flush tank actuating means



Oct. 13, 1959 E. C. PETRIE FLUSH TANK ACTUATING MEANS Filed Oct. 31, 1956 Unimd W 8 P tent 25908 ,018. FLUSH TANK: c'ruArnso MEANS EugeneC. Petrie, Elmhurst, lll.,..ass ignor to Crane 10.,

This invention.relatestoflush tanks or thelike, particularly as usedwith Waterclose'ts. i

A principalbbject .of, the. inyen'tion is to. provide. a new means of flush tank actuationinthe matter of.initiating discharge, from. thetankl. This meansof actuation incorporates .theuse offloat meansfto. raisethe outlet valve, into an open position, -said..'float. means. being so caused to .-raise. the closure member by theintroduction of an additional supply ofQWater, at .thetimeof flushing and preferably by the useof additional valve. means .of a metering selfzclosingtype', .to raise. the water level above that normallyproducing a closed ballcock to a predeter minednew. .heightsuflicient tQcause such actuation.

Another. object is to providefludiing means inwhich all mechanical linkage is eliminated, the same operating hydraulically] This. permits dispensing with the. .conven'tional operating. leiier and"ha ndleland permitsv .the substitution of a more conveniently, actuable, push. button arrangement .fonoperation: .ofan auxiliaryovalve. 'Ihisis important it .is [adapted toa ew; trend; whieh is. developingtowards. redesigning andiplacingthe: flush tank within .or behind the wallofi, abathroom-or the like; for -ms q ma ne an In h s asao the pu h button operating. means, will cbe visible. (Wh re. e e yor beyond the fac e.-o.f -.t -he;wall -f-.th.;100m..' It is not considered. modern .0]: attractive or. even of 1 good m i el esi howeve 49 e ely-mo nt h co tion of the flush tank. This is important inasmuch as an 7 alternative'toIplacing the' flush tank-within thefiwall directly behind theuwater closet; the same may be placed in a more remote location asbehind the wall either directly or inamore removed loc'ation as' in a utility room or, the same maybe placed any suitable space,- preferably in an?elevated position such'as in a closet, false or real cabinetf or otherwiseiwaste'space as-in a sofiit. The tank also; need not be-restricted'to thesame floor the water closet'is' on'. but-the samemaybe placed 'in the floor-above in a suitable location or in=storage orattic space, if sufficiently warm so as to guard-ag-ainstfreezing. In such remote location. of the. tank an additional length of pipe- (possibly fleiihle' plastic) ofcou rse would be necessary betweentthe tankputletandwater closet as well asbetween the auxiliary or preferably push'button valve'and the" tank into which it discharges. Itf is thus seen that-gfr'eatfiexibilityis present by virtue of the present invent'ion; ln-thisconnectio'rfi ofcourse, the flushing control sueh asa-- push button-"may be 'mounted- 'inthe floor for foot operation.

Other objects and advantages will become more readily Z 9 08 0 l 8 Ratented Oct. 1 3., 1959.

. 2, 4. apparent upon proceeding with the descriptionfreaclin light of the accompanying drawing in which.

Fig. 1 is anassembly view of a flush tank employing. the preferred form of the presentzinvention, certain .parts being broken away and shown in section;

Fig. 2 is a sectional viewtaken alongthe lines Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is ,a viewsimilar to Fig; 2 showing .a more. basic form of the invention. I

Referring to the drawing in greater detailand particu: larly Figs. 1 and 2 thereof, the numeraltl designates-a flush tank asused for water closets or the like, said tank including the usual inlet supply line 2.at the uppe r end of. whiehis secured a conventional, supplywalve or ballcock-3 including a float'4 which, is effectiye. to close the supply valve upon the attainment ofthenormaljfull tank water level approximately as shown at-6. Itjshould of course be understood. that this waterlevel is subject to variation depending .uponthe inlet water pressure and the extend to which the float rod-arm '7 may ;-be.bent-.-ijn order. to,p rocu re the quantity of,water desired forthe flushing action according to conventional practice. The supply -line.2 of course passes throughthe botton 'ofrtlle tank in fluidsealedrelation at9.

The flush tank, which may be constructedmfinexpensive sheet metal or. plastic. for within wall or; remote use as ppinted-outin the preamble to the specification, also; includes outlet facilities such as the fitting;;mem-ber 13 having an outlet port therethrough and surrounded bya valveseat 14=at-the top. Preferably, a flapper-type closure member lo such as that disclosed inPateutNo. 2,756,437 isemp1oyed,.said member being. securedlor mounted; in the manner disclosed therein. Briefly,[the closure 'rnember; includes a fiat seating disc-like forward portion 17 for spanning the top of the outlet opening .in the closed valve position as shownv and the :rearwardly @Xtending portion "18' having a transversely .extendirigtsldt 19 for buttoningon or stretching over; an enlarged; buttonheadformation 2.0 surmountingv the: post rportionjll extending rearwardly from the outletfittingr" The=..clo.- sure also. includes a depending buoyant portion. 23;for maintaining .the said closure memberyin; a state ofzfloatation when raised from theseat surface a'sufiicient aniount during the flushingaction until thetank water has :drained outtoapredetermined lowerzlevel;v

Accordingto the. preferred form .ofthe present invention;- :the; sameprovides novelimeans for actuating- 'th'e clo'suremember. so as to. lift .the sameinto a condition of self-buoyancy by virtue of its ownfloat port'ion.- Ac- .cordingto. this invention thislifting or actuation of 'the closure from its lower closed'position is accornplish'ed by the use of adequate, float means such as the float member. 25 positioned above the closure member. This floatmember. is suitably attached to theolosure member asby means of adownwardly extending Wire or rod 26 and a-fiexible cord or. bead chain 27 attached to the rod andclosure by wire clip elements 28 and 29'respectively; the rod 26 terminating in'eye or loop 30 at the lower end for attachment of. the upper wire element 28';- Fig. 3 shows .the basic-idea with the addition-of aguide'memher or supporting arm 31 with an opening or bore 32 for passage of the Wire or rod 26therethroug'h; Such guiding or positioning is .for the purpose of preventing the float member 25 from becoming-entangled with the-fl'oa't 'Iod arm 7 of the ballcock' during th'e'flush'ing action.""As far as the basic invention is concerned the g'uide r'naybe eliminated. l

l"hi basi principleof operation of this flush-tank is to introdueejarr'additional quantity ofwater into tlile tank,- at the tim'e-t he flushing action is'des'ired, deer the amount already present in the tank by virtue of the supply valve 3 and which normally in a properly operating tank produces a closed ballcock. Upon the introduction of such additional quantity of water, as by means of auxiliary valve 33, suflicient to raise the water to a predetermined higher level, the float member 25 Will tend also to rise with the water level. Inasmuch as there is practically no slack or looseness in the connection between the float 25 and closure member in the closed valve position, the float 25 will not actually rise with the water level as additional water is being introduced but rather will become in the course of a certain time substantially submerged, thus to build up a large amount of buoyant energy. This energy will become suflicient prior to or at least substantially at the predetermined higher level to overcome the weight of the water on the closure member 16 and to raise the same from the outlet fitting 13 into the open position shown in the dotted lines in Fig. 1, so that the closure may assume a condition of selfbuoyancy and move into yet a higher position. The upper position of the float member 25 corresponding to the raised position of the closure member is indicated in the dotted lines at 35 in Fig. l. A similar higher position of the float will also be present in the Fig. 3 construction. a In the latter construction the additional water must be suflicient to raise the water level in the entire tank to the predetermined higher level necessary to actuate the float member 25 in order to raise the closure 16. This would take a considerable amount of water which is not particularly desirable.

In the Figs. 1 and 2 form, therefore, an inner tank or float chamber 37 is employed having imperforate cylindrical side walls 38 and a bottom portion 39 also imperforate except for a central opening 40 for the passage of the rod 26 and for drainage of the tank member 37 therearound when the water in the flush tank has discharged during the flushing action. This inner tank is also open at the top for a purpose to be brought out hereinafter.

In this arrangement the auxiliary or additional supply valve means 33 is adapted to discharge within the inner tank 37 by means of tubing or a pipe line such as 42. In this way the quantity of water necessary to raise the water level around the float member 25 to the predetermined height necessary to cause raising of the same and of the attached closure member 16 is very drastically reduced. In fact only a small amount of water is necessary in order to cause such actuation, thus to increase the efliciency of the present invention and eliminate the wastage of water. The tank member 37 is of course suitably attached to the flush tank as by means of supports 44 (see Fig. 2) shown. Besides the member 37 serving as an inner tank for the purpose above described, it also serves as a guide or enclosing means for the float member 25 to prevent the same from floating loosely within the tank and perhaps becoming entangled with a float rod arm 7 of the ballcock.

In connection with the auxiliary or additional supply valve 33, this is preferably a push button actuated, selfclosing, metering type of valve such as may be procured on the market, the internal construction of which is not believed pertinent or necessary to go into inasmuch as it does not form part of the invention. This auxiliary valve as noted in the drawing is connected by means of the piping 46 to the same source of supply as the supply pipe 2 of the flush tank is connected. The piping 46 may of course be wholly within the flush tank or outside of it as shown. Although the auxiliary valve 33 is shown mounted on the flush tank and extending through the wall 47 such as that of a bathroom or the like, the valve does not necessarily have to be so mounted on the tank. This auxiliary valve, as pointed out in the preamble to the specification, may be located at a point remote from the flush tank or, putting it in another way, the flush tank may be at a location remote from the actuating valve 33. In the latter case the piping 46 will be of additional length as well as the piping or conduit (not shown) between the outlet fitting 13 and the water closet. It was also pointed out in the preamble that the present invention is intended to be employed in a newly designed flush tank to be positioned within or behind the wall. The present tank therefore is preferably constructed of low cost sheet metal or plastic and is designed to be placed between studding where this mounting is to be effected.

Although the self-closing, metering type of valve 33 is illustrated, it should of course be understood that other means of introducing water to the tank may be employed, if desired, which may not be automatically self-closing. If the non self-closing type of valve is used, the flush tank outlet value would simply be actuated upon attaimnent of the predetermined higher water level, at which time the additional valve means or whatever means are employed could be shut off or released in the case of push button actuation.

It should be noted that no overflow tube or channel has been disclosed in the drawing. This is to illustrate that the same is not necessary for overflow purposes inasmuch as the present construction also serves as an overflow means. This action takes place as a result of rising of the float element 25 sufiiciently to lift the closure or at least a portion thereof at least slightly olf its seat during rising of the tank water level beyond the normal ballcock shut-off point because of a leaky ballcock for instance, thus to relieve the rising level by flow into the outlet port. The greater the rate of water rise, the greater will be the lifting of the closure member and the discharge flow. The rising water will of course enter the inner tank 37 through the opening 40 in the bottom. Should the rise be too rapid, however, as for instance where there is a relatively high inlet pressure, it is contemplated that the inner tank will rapidly fill upon the overflow stage reaching the open top of the same and overflowing thereinto, after which actuation of the closure member will take place for relief of the tank. The inner tank should therefore have its open top or at least an open portion disposed sufliciently below the top of the flush tank or any other point of leakage to safeguard the same and insure actuation of the'closure member.

For refill or resealing, purposes as employed with waterclosets a construction such as shown in copending application Serial No. 652,281, filed April 11, 1957 may be provided.

Although certain forms have been illustrated or suggested, it is not desired to limit this invention to those forms or suggestions and other variations and changes may be made within the broad spirit of the invention. The appended claim should accordingly be liberally construed in the light of the overall inventive spirit herein involved.

I claim:

In a flush tank or the like. including a float controlled supply valve and an outlet valve adapted to be raised from the closed valve position, float means floating in the tank water when at the normal water level producing a closed supply valve, said float means being connected to said outlet valve and eflective to raise the latter upon raising of the float means to a predetermined level above the normal water level in the tank producing a closed supply valve, and means effective to supply water for raising said float means by way of flotation to the predetermined level.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Smart May 15, 1956 

